


Fighting for a Future (Together)

by a1_kitkat



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Episode Related, Episode Tag, Feelings, Fix-It of Sorts, Friendship, M/M, Malex, Talking, alternative take of maria finding out about alex and michael, spoilers for episodes 9 & 10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-29 20:23:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18301316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: Maria and Alex come to talk to Liz about their feelings for Michael at the same time*an alternate take on the Alex and Maria conversation from episode 1x10 where Liz is there to play peacemaker*





	Fighting for a Future (Together)

Liz was having a difficult time concentrating; her mind just wanted to distract her with the memory of kissing Max on the hilltop. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see him; the way he looked at her with such love and adoration. When she looked into his eyes, she could remember the boy she’d danced with in the desert ten years ago, the boy she’d wanted to kiss back then but hadn’t been able to, hadn’t had it in her to kiss him then walk away. 

Even now, after she’d kissed him and had to walk away, it had been difficult to do but she’d had to walk away, needed to get back to her lab to check her research. Max was counting on her, Michael was counting on her, Isobel was counting on her… Hell, if Noah had known about everything then he would be counting on her too. She was trying her best, was determined to find a way to fix this. Her serum had caused it, she could fix this!

She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes, Kyle had just left but his words echoed in her mind. Maybe she should heed his warning and wait a few more days to give Isobel the antidote?

Footsteps caught her attention and she turned around as the door opened. Maria stepped into the room; she didn’t appear to be in a very good mood which was unusual as Maria often put on a brave face for the outside world. Perhaps the trip to Texas hadn’t been the best idea but at least she’d made it back to Roswell in one piece.

“Maria!” Liz exclaimed as she jumped to her feet.  
Maria walked towards her and immediately pulled her into a hug.  
“You made it back from Texas then?” Liz said with a smile. Maria groaned.  
“Do not talk to me about Texas”  
“Oh?”  
“I know Max drove you back here in Guerin’s truck but did you have to leave him there with me to drive back? Have you ever been in a car with him? Ever?”  
“I uh can’t say I have”  
“Well, I don’t want to talk about it”  
“I’m sorry” Liz pulled her into another hug “I’m sorry it was such a bust”  
“You don’t even know the half of it… I lost my favorite necklace”  
“Oh” Liz reached out and squeezed Maria’s arm. 

“So I need something good to focus on” Maria said “what happened between you and Max? it was a long drive back… Trust me, I know”  
“It was fine” Liz said with a smile. She was dying to tell Maria the full story.  
“Oh no, don’t give me that ‘fine’ crap” Mari stared at her “I want details”

Liz smiled and looked into Maria’s eyes.  
“I kissed him” she blurted.  
“You did not!”  
“I did and it was… perfect… absolutely perfect”  
“Awwww”

Maria grabbed Liz and hugged her close. She was thrilled for Liz but couldn’t help remembering her own recent foray into the world of perfect kisses.

“I need to know every single detail” Maria insisted as the broke apart “after I get something off my chest”  
“Oh my God, Maria, is everything okay?” Liz was instantly worried “do you not like Max?”  
“No, sweetie, Max is perfect for you… this is my own… Shame spiral”  
“Shame spiral? No! Maria Deluca doesn’t do shame spirals”  
“Well today I do”  
“Come, sit… Tell me everything”

Liz took Maria’s hand and sat her down in the corner. She’d never seen Maria like this before, it was a little disconcerting.  
“Maria, what happened?” Liz asked her.  
“No, I can’t tell you... It’s just too shameful” she said as she buried her face in her hands.  
But Liz simply laughed and pulled Maria’s hands away from her face then looked into her eyes.  
“As your best friend, there is nothing you can’t say to me” Liz informed her “remember you told me about your Chad”  
This caused Maria to laugh and nod her head.

“I slept with him” Maria blurted out.  
“With Chad?” Liz was confused.  
“No, not Chad… Well, yeah I did with Chad but no… in Texas… After I went to get some air and he followed me around and we got lost and…”  
“Maria!” Liz gasped, he hand flying to her mouth in shock. “Tell me you didn’t”  
“I had a good old fashioned Texas rounder with Guerin in the middle of the desert”  
“Oh My Gosh”  
“I made him swear never to tell anyone, ever; that we would just pretend it never happened and will never happen again”  
“Maria, you’re both consenting adults… it’s not like you did anything wrong”  
“I know that but I mean, come on, this is Michael Guerin we’re talking about”

Again, she buried her face in her hands.  
“So… how was it?” Liz asked with a twinkle in her eye. Maria looked up at her but couldn’t bring herself to glare at her friend.  
“Liz!”  
“What? He just… seems a bit… rugged”  
“We were both drunk and it was just a… fumble”  
“So you uh don’t have any feelings for him or anything then?”  
“It won’t happen again”  
“That’s not what I asked”  
“I can’t answer that… I need a drink”  
“There’s a bottle of scotch in the cupboard over there”

Liz nodded over her shoulder. She wasn’t about to tell Maria that Michael was the one who’d stashed it there either. Maria raised an eyebrow at Liz keeping alcohol in the lab but made her way to where she was pointing. Sure enough, stashed behind a spare box of test tubes was a half full bottle of scotch. Maria poured herself a glass just as the door to the lab opened and Alex walked in.

Alex only had eyed for Liz though and didn’t even notice Maria in the corner.  
“Can we talk?” Alex asked Liz “it’s really important”  
“Uh sure?” Liz looked over at Maria but Alex was staring at the floor. Maria shrugged her shoulders.  
“I have a secret and I can’t keep it to myself any longer... Well I mean, Kyle already knows but I need to hear myself say it out loud to someone who won’t think I’ve lost my mind”  
“Alex-” Liz started but he cut her off.  
“I’m in love with Michael Guerin” he blurted out “have been since high school and I think he still loves me too”

Before Liz could say anything, the sound of breaking glass caught both their attention and they turned to see Maria staring at him in absolute shock. At her feet were two smashed glasses, she’d obviously dropped them. Alex and Maria simply stared at each other while Liz hurried forward to pick up the shards of glass.

“What?” Maria gasped, her hands were shaking.   
“Maria” Alex swallowed nervously. “I uh I didn’t realize you were here”

Liz picked up the broken glass and threw it into the garbage then grabbed the scotch bottle, yanked the lid off and took a long swig. It burned the entire way down and she quickly handed it to Maria who also took a mouthful.

“Alex?” Maria began “is… is he museum guy?”  
“What?” Liz spun around and looked at Alex “Michael’s the guy who kissed you in high school?”

Alex averted his eyes and nodded his head.  
“Now you see why I couldn’t tell either of you, right?” Alex stated.  
“So you’ve just kept this to yourself for ten years?” Liz asked him.  
“I had to” he confessed “it was important that no one find out”  
“But why? Why couldn’t you even tell us?”

He looked up to meet her eyes and Liz could see he was fighting back tears.  
“Because of what my dad did” he choked “when he caught us together”  
“His hand” Maria gasped. “The faith healer, she said it was a violent wound and that he’d been hiding all the pain caused by it… Your father did that to him?”  
“With a hammer” Alex said to them.  
“Oh Alex”

Liz moved towards him and wrapped her arms around Alex; she could feel his eyes staring at Maria while she hugged him. Normally Maria would be the first one to offer him comfort but all these revelations seemed to be too much all at once.

“I’m so sorry, Alex” Liz whispered “I wish you’d told us sooner”  
“I had no idea” Maria said as she stepped closer to her friends, held Alex’s gaze.  
“I know… How could you?” Alex replied “I… Never wanted anyone to find out”

She reached for his hand and was hurt when he pulled away.  
“I swear, it meant nothing” she insisted “I was drunk, he was drunk… It won’t ever happen again”  
“He wasn’t drunk” Alex said “he did it on purpose, to hurt me”  
“No” Maria said vehemently   
“He wouldn’t” Liz added “Michael’s not… He’s not vindictive like that”  
“How would you know?” Alex asked her.  
“Well… He’s been helping me with some science stuff and I uh I’ve kinda gotten to know him over these past few weeks… I hate to say it but he doesn’t have a cruel bone in his body”

Liz looked from Alex to Maria then back again.  
“Did something happen the other morning, before we went to Texas?” she asked the two of them “his behaviour was really off when we were there”  
“Oh you mean he was acting out? That’s the only reason he hooked up with me?” Maria asked.  
“No, I just meant… something wasn’t right with him”

“I saw him at the Wild Pony” Alex admitted. “And he… he asked if it was really over between us… I basically told him it was”

Liz reached for his hand, her eyes filled with sympathy.  
“I’m sorry, Alex” she said to him.  
“I pushed him away” he said “he had every right to seek comfort wherever he saw fit”  
“I’m sorry, Alex” Maria moved closer and looked into his tear filled eyes “I never would have…”  
“It’s okay, it’s not your fault” he assured her. 

“So you’ve been in love with him for ten years and you’re only just admitting it now?” Liz asked him.  
“Yeah… I…” Alex paused “but my dad…”  
“Why now? Why admit it today?”

Alex looked to Maria; she didn’t know the entire truth… Not the way Kyle, Liz, Jenna, himself all knew. He couldn’t say it in front of her though it wasn’t his place to share the secret.

“Because I’m scared I’m going to lose him” Alex said to Liz. “He has plans to leave… Roswell and probably never come back”  
“Oh” Liz paused, able to read what Alex wasn’t saying.

“So fight for him” Maria spoke up. “If you love him as much as it looks like you do, don’t give up so easily. Do everything you can to fight for him. Show him how much he means to you”  
“Maria’s right” Liz added. “Give him a reason to stay”  
“But what if I’m not enough for him?” Alex asked them. His voice very slow, almost scared.  
“Then he wasn’t worthy of you in the first place” Liz insisted.

Alex smiled and pulled Liz into his arms for a hug. His eyes peered over her shoulder to Maria and he held his arm out for her. She hurried into his embrace and the three friends held each other tightly.  
“Now go” Liz whispered “go get your man back”  
He nodded his head in agreement. Liz was right, Maria was right. He’d said himself that he was tired of walking away, tired of not saying what he wanted to say. When he’d seen Michael’s ship, learned of his plans to leave, he’d still walked away… to process everything he’d learned but he wasn’t going to let Michael go without a fight.   
Even if it meant giving him the missing piece of his ship, giving him the one thing he needed in order to leave. Maybe, if he was lucky, if Michael really felt the same way about him, maybe Michael wouldn’t leave. Maybe he’d stay… Maybe Michael still loved him. But there was only one way for him to find out.


End file.
